Fears Taking Over: Thunder In Dry Season
by Just4FunFiction
Summary: While on another patrol, a brutal thunderstorm caused the Lion Guard to seek shelter for the night, but what truths will this storm bring out?
1. Ch 1- What Started As A Normal Day

Chapter One- What Started As A Normal Day…

 **(A/N: hello, everyone! It's been a while, I know, but I haven't given up on this fandom. I do have other TLG story ideas that I want to do, so this won't be the last Lion Guard fic. Thank you guys for reading, and enjoy!**

 **Oh, and this will feature KiFu, a.k.a Kion x Fuli.)**

Kion slowly began to wake up, the warm, calming breeze entering the cave brushing through his fur. His eyes sleepily started to open, his head trying to lift itself up. He gazed towards the entrance, seeing that the sun's light was entering the cave. 'Guess I better get up, then,' he thought. He slowly got up to his paws, his legs still stiff from sleep. As he threw his head up with a yawn, his light brown eyes opened more, a smile forming on his face. Walking towards the entrance, he winced as his eyes readjusted to the sudden intensity of the light. Once he was fully outside, he stepped near the edge of Pride Rock, looking out at the kingdom that he was a part of. The sky was a serene shade of blue, with fluffy white clouds dotted about, the magnificent sun up high. The Pride Lands were peaceful, the ground a mix of yellows and browns with the occasional spot of green- this was because it was the dry season, so this came as no surprise to the young Prince. He could spot different herds and flocks dotted about, no sign that there was any trouble. 'Hopefully, the day should stay peaceful.'

"Good morning, Kion," he heard a voice speak from behind. Turning around, the golden furred, red maned cub saw his sister, and heir to the throne, Kiara. His sister had more of a peach-coloured fur, and her eyes were a darker shade of brown. She had a slight smirk on her lips. "I see you're finally awake."

Kion rolled his eyes, but still smiled. "Good morning, Kiara," he greeted back.

"Mom just returned from the morning hunt, so breakfast is ready."

"Okay."

So, Kion followed his sister, heading down Pride Rock to where the other lions and lionesses were. As they approached the group, two adults- a male and a female- turned their heads towards the two cubs. These lions were Simba and Nala, king and queen of the Pride Lands. From a glance, it was easy to tell that the four of them were related, as Kion's mane and fur were the same colour as his father's, and both cubs had a similar eye colour to the king, whereas Kiara's fur was more like her mother's.

"Good morning, you two," Nala greeted her children, smiling warmly.

"Yes, good morning," Simba also greeted, smiling just as much.

"Morning, mom! Morning, dad!" The two cubs replied.

"You two sleep okay?" Nala asked. Both cubs nodded. "That's good. Well, since you're both here, and so is everyone else, I guess we should eat." So, following Simba's morning address to the Pride, they all enjoyed their breakfast meal of gazelle, with enough for everyone to enjoy. Naturally, being lions, it was a short meal, and the majority of the Pride quickly returned to their daily routines. As Nala began to lick her paws, she turned to her son. "So, Kion, I take it you'll be headed on patrol shortly?"

He nodded. "Yeah. The guys are probably waiting, so I should get going now."

"Well, be careful, all of you," Simba warned his son, his face caring yet serious. "Even if there is no trouble to take care of, Rafiki has warned me that, due to the dry season being in full swing, the weather conditions should be worsening soon. I know you and the Guard can take care of yourselves, so be aware."

"Thanks, dad, we will," Kion replied. He got up to his feet, and began to head off. "See you later!"

* * *

In the cave, the other members of the Guard- Fuli, Bunga, Beshte and Ono- were waiting for their leader. While they hadn't been waiting long, Bunga in particular was rather impatient.

"What's taking him so long?" The honey badger complained. "I'm losing my mind, waiting this long!"

"Bunga," Ono stated bluntly, "we've been here for just over five minutes."

"Oh."

Fuli rolled her eyes, the cheetah stretching. "He'll be here soon enough, Bunga, just calm down."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He glanced around the cave, looking for a way to preoccupy himself, before his eyes glistened and he smiled giddily. "Yummo!" He ran straight towards one side of the cave, where he began to feast upon a small bunch of bugs that had crawled in. "Mmm! These are delicious! Any of you guys want some?"

Fuli stuck her nose up and backed off as Bunga held up a handful of the bugs. "Eww! No thank you, Bunga!" He simply shrugged, and when Beshte and Ono declined, he began to munch away at the bugs, much to Fuli's disgust. "Ugh!" She pretended to gag, before looking towards the entrance again. 'Where are you, Kion?' she pondered.

As if on cue, Kion made his way into the cave. "Hey, guys!" He greeted.

"Hey, Kion!" Bunga, Beshte and Ono greeted back, although Bunga's response was muffled due to the fact he was eating.

"About time you got here!" Fuli told him, stepping towards the lion cub with an angry look on her face. "How come you're the last one here?"

He frowned a little. "Uh, sorry, Fuli. I didn't mean to be so-"

Her laugh cut him off, the lion cub noticing that her gaze had changed to one of pure amusement. "Kion! I can't believe you fell for it!" He blushed out of embarrassment, which caused her to giggle more. 'Aww, he's blushing! How cute!' "Relax, I was just teasing you!"

"Right," he muttered, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, my dad wanted me to warn you guys to be careful, as there may be some bad weather today." He turned to the egret. "Ono, be sure to keep an eye out."

"Sure thing, Kion!" Ono replied.

"Uh, we're being careful because of weather?" Bunga asked. "That's kinda lame."

"Actually, this far into the dry season, the weather can pick up rather quickly, and can be quite dangerous if there are any sandstorms or lightning clouds. It's common knowledge, really."

"Exactly, so if we see anything like that, we need to get to safety, and help anyone that we can before it reaches us," Kion instructed. "Is that clear?"

"Clear!" They all responded.

"That's good! Alright, I think we're good to go! Til the Pride Lands end!"

"LION GUARD DEFENDS!"

* * *

So, the Lion Guard began their patrol. As they travelled throughout the Pride Lands, ensuring that everything was peaceful and doing their part to help wherever possible, they didn't come across anything that would be cause for alarm. Whilst there was a slight case of 'panicking and running' from the zebras, everything was calm.

That was, until they neared the giraffe herd. Just as they arrived, a trio of familiar hyenas showed up, and tried to sneak up on the giraffes, hoping for a quick meal. Ono, however, was quick to spot them, being the keenest of sight.

"Hapana!" The egret alerted. "The hyenas are going to attack the giraffes!"

"Not if we can stop it!" Kion replied, followed by him turning to Fuli. "Fuli, get behind them, then once we've gotten close, stop them!"

"I'm on it, Kion!" She said, before speeding away.

"Ono, Bunga, try and get the giraffes to safety whilst me and Beshte confront Janja's clan!"

"We're on it!" Ono reported, leading the way with Bunga following after.

"Beshte, you ready?"

"You know it!"

"Alright- let's go!" So, Kion charged ahead, with Beshte not far behind. Janja was about ready to pounce on one of the younger giraffes, but when Kion gave the signal, Fuli leapt out at him, knocking him to the side. While he tried to get up, Kion pounced, pinning the hyena to the ground. "Janja! Stop this at once!"

"I shoulda known you'd come to spoil our meal," the hyena grumbled, glaring at the Lion Guard leader. "Why can't you ever leave us be?"

"Do you really need to ask that?" Fuli asked, while she held Chungu to the ground, Beshte doing the same to Cheezi. "If you respected the circle of life, this wouldn't be an issue! Heck, you'd be allowed into the Pride Lands!"

The hyena leader simply laughed. "You don't actually believe all that, do ya? I swear Simba's turned ya brains to mush!"

"Don't talk about my father like that!" Kion growled. "Now, I'm going to give you one chance- leave now, or we will force you to leave."

Janja stared back at Kion for a moment, silence filling the air, only for it to be ended by a sigh from Janja. "I can see we ain't winnin' here. Fine, we'll go."

"Make sure you do." Kion hesitantly moved off of the hyena, allowing him to get to his feet. Kion gave a nod and watched as Fuli and Beshte did the same, but when he turned back to Janja, he pounced the lion cub, with Chungu pinning the cheetah and Cheezi jumping at the hippo.

"Ha! You really thought we'd leave! Your brains really are mush!" He lowered his head, sneering at Kion while he scowled. "I'm gonna enjoy getting rid of you pests!" Kion spat in his face, causing the sneer to turn into a scowl. "Okay, now I'm REALLY gonna enjoy it."

The two growled at each other. While Fuli squirmed to help her friend, and Beshte tried to shake off Cheezi, Janja raised his paw, ready to strike with it.

"Janja!" They heard a voice call, as Mzingo flew in. "We have to leave- now!"

"Relax, Mzingo!" Janja replied to the vulture. "The Lion Guard isn't going anywhere, so we've got plenty of-"

"No, we don't! If we don't leave now, we may never get out of here!"

Janja wondered what Mzingo was going on about, but as he saw the concerned look in his eye, he realised he was being serious. Sighing, he turned back to Kion. "Looks like ya'll live another day." He then turned to the other two hyenas. "Boys! Let's go!"

With that, Janja and his crew retreated to the Outlands. As Kion and Fuli both got to their feet, they looked at each other. "What just happened?" Fuli asked.

"I'm not sure," Kion answered. "Let's find Ono and Bunga, and see if they know anything." So, the three of them headed in the direction that the egret and honey badger had led the giraffes, not going far before their friends were in sight. "I think I see them up ahead!"

Kion began to pick up speed as he ran towards his teammates. "Kion!" Ono called out. "Turn around!"

Kion slowed to a halt, Fuli and Beshte doing the same. "Ono, what's going on?"

"We need to run, now!" Ono never stopped as he neared his friends, and neither did Bunga. "This way, quickly!"

Kion watched as Ono and Bunga passed him by. "What's going-" His words were cut off by a loud booming sound behind him, prompting him to turn around, which caused his eyes to widen in shock. "Hevi Kabisa!"


	2. Ch 2- The Real Trouble Begins

Simba, Nala and Kiara had been visiting Rafiki at his tree, as part of one of Kiara's 'future queen lessons'. Makini had also been there for the beginning of the lesson, as it covered the role she would play when Kiara took the throne, before Rafiki reminded her about her meditation. "So, you see, Kiara," Rafiki told her, "whenever you need assistance, I and Makini will be able to assist you. As de Royal Mjuzi, we shall remain loyal to you for our tenure as queen."

"I see," Kiara told him with a nod. "I'm glad to have you two to rely on- you've done so much for our family over the years."

"Think nothing of it, Kiara," he waved it off. "After all, your family has done so much for me, it would not be fair to not repay them or be loyal to them."

"Thank you, Rafiki," Simba spoke up. "I appreciate you showing this to Kiara."

"Indeed," Nala added. "As Queen, she will be working closely with you and Makini."

"It is no problem, your highness, your majesty."

"Well, we should be going back now," Simba pointed out. "It has been nice seeing you again."

"And you! It is always a pleasure to see the royal family!"

"Thank you, Rafiki. Have a good day."

"Goodbye!"

With that, Simba led his family out of the tree, and they began the journey back to Pride Rock. "I hope this has helped you, Kiara."

"Yes, Daddy," she told him, rolling her eyes.

The two adult lions gave a chuckle. "We know you understand, Kiara," Nala told her. "If I recall, Simba was like you are now when he first met Rafiki."

"Apart from the birth ceremony, you mean."

"Yes, of course. We all know Rafiki can be a bit-"

She was cut off, as the three of them heard a large boom fill the air, startling all three of them. Kiara, with her eyes wide, looked to her parents. "What was that?"

"I… I'm not certain," Simba struggled to explain, "but whatever it was… it cannot be good."

"YOUR HIGHNESS! YOUR HIGHNESS!" They heard Rafiki shouting. Turning around, they saw the Mandrill running towards them. "YOU MUST COME WITH ME! A STORM IS COMING!"

"A storm?" Simba asked.

"YES! COME BACK TO MY TREE, IT WILL BE HERE SOON! WE WILL BE SAFE THERE!"

"Okay!" He looked to his family. "We need to move quickly."

"But, Simba!" Nala argued. "What about Kion? We can't leave him out there! What if he gets caught in the storm?"

Simba sighed. "We don't know where he could be right now. We can only hope that he and his friends get to safety, and wait out the storm."

"QUICKLY! WE DO NOT HAVE LONG!"

"Right! Let's go!"

* * *

Turning around, Kion's eyes widened as he saw dark thunder clouds in the sky, accompanying a fierce sandstorm headed in his direction. "Hevi Kabisa!" He shouted, turning back around to face Fuli and Beshte. "Run! Now!" They didn't waste time following their leader's order, turning heel and running away. They soon caught up with Ono and Bunga, but the storm was fast approaching them. "Ono! Where's the best place for us to find shelter?"

"What about Pride Rock?" Beshte shouted his suggestion.

"Not a good idea!" Ono shouted back. "We wouldn't be protected from the storm, or if anything is sent flying our way! All the caves face the opposite direction that the storm is blowing!"

"Shouldn't we try seeking high ground?" Fuli asked.

"There's nowhere that high near enough for us to reach before the storm reaches us! The force of the storm would make it impossible to climb something that high safely!"

Kion thought for a moment while he continued to run. "What about the lair? Will that be close enough?"

"I think so! Plus, we should be safe there too, as the vines that cover the main entrance are thick enough to stop the sandstorm getting in! Hang on a second!" He flew further ahead and looked over the Pride Lands, guided by his keen sight until he laid eyes on their lair. "I've got eyes on it!"

"Lead the way!" So, they all followed Ono, their destination coming more and more in sight as they ran. However, the storm was fast and strong, getting closer and closer by the second. Kion could feel small grains of sand graze against his fur, and was certain that the others could too. "We're almost there, Lion Guard! Just a little longer!"

"Yeah, but the storm is almost right on top of us!" Fuli pointed out. "We need to get there fast, or else-"

"HELP!" They heard a voice cry. Looking to the side, they saw Makini, Rafiki's apprentice. The mandrill's staff was caught under a particularly heavy tree branch. She looked over at the Lion Guard, panic in her eyes. "Lion Guard, help!"

"Makini!" Kion stopped running, turning to the others who also stopped. "We have to help her!"

"But, what about the storm?" Bunga asked.

"We'll just have to risk it- it's our duty." The others looked at each other, before nodding. "Let's try and do this quickly. Ono, let us know how close the storm gets to us." He turned to Beshte. "Beshte, can you cover us while we try and free the staff?"

"You got it, Kion."

The five of them quickly made their way over to Makini. "Oh, thank you, Lion Guard!"

"What happened, Makini?" Fuli asked.

"I was meditating by this tree, when suddenly, the branch above snapped. I tried to dodge it, but my staff got caught."

"Don't worry about it, Makini." Kion grabbed a hold of branch with his teeth, as did Fuli, whilst Makini and Bunga grabbed on with their paws. "On three," he explained through his gritted teeth.

"One… two… three!" The four of them began to pull at the branch, using all their might and energy, but the branch refused to give. The four of them eventually let go, tired.

"It's no use," Fuli panted, "it's stuck."

"Guys, we need to go now!" Ono called out. "The storm is right here!"

"Sorry, Makini. Looks like you'll have to find a new staff. For now, come with us back to the cave, it's safe there." Although she was downhearted that she was losing yet another staff, she nodded, deciding to put safety first. As the four of them continued to run, the storm eventually overtook them, causing them to wince as the fast moving grains of sand grazed against them. Ono started to fly lower to avoid getting hit by anything that was flying, knowing he wouldn't be able to spot them if he turned around. "Ono? Can you still see the cave at all?"

"Sorry, Kion. I can't make it out that well due to the sand."

"I've got an idea," Fuli exclaimed. "Keep running, I'll keep as close as I can." Before anyone could ask further questions, Fuli took off at rapid speed, enough to outrun the storm and see where the cave was. She turned her head in the direction she came from. "Follow my voice!" She shouted, then started to run at her previous speed.

"Follow Fuli!" Kion ordered, and everyone started to run. Fuli would shout out as they continued to running, sticking close enough that the Guard could hear her yet far enough that the storm wouldn't overtake her and block her vision.

"Okay, I can see it!" She pointed out. "I'll keep calling out, so just follow my voice!"

"You heard her! Everyone, move!" So, they kept running as fast as they could. Using Fuli's voice as guidance, they fought through the sandstorm, ignoring the grains that were grazing against their fur and the winds that threatened to blow them away. "Fuli! How much further?"

"It's not too far! Just a little further!"

"Okay, guys! We're almost there! Just keep pushing through, and we'll make it!" As soon as he said that, a huge crash of thunder erupted behind them. Kion stopped running for a split second, looking back to see bright flashes of lightning, though quite farq in the distance, piercing through the thick veil provided by the sandstorm. He turned straight back around and felt even more energy within him. "Keep going!"

They all started to pick up the pace, but as the thunder continued, one of the bursts of lightning struck a nearby tree, ripping off one of the largest branches, which was then carried away by the sandstorm… right towards Beshte.

"Aah!" He screamed, dropping to his side as he felt the wood cut through his leg.

"Beshte!"

"Keep going, Kion! I'll be fine!"

However, Kion knew that he couldn't leave his friend behind. "You guys and Makini, keep going to the cave! I'm going to help Beshte!"

"Are you nuts?! You'll only get yourself in more trouble!" Ono argued to his leader.

"I can't leave Beshte behind! I'll be okay, just go!"

As much as Ono wanted to convince Kion it was a bad idea, the storm was really picking up, and he knew he had to get to shelter. "Okay, Kion!"

So, while the rest of the Guard and Makini continued running towards the lair, Kion turned around. Instantly, sand flew into his face, causing him to wince as it got in his eyes. "Beshte!" He called out, coughing as sand got in his mouth. "Where are you!"

"Kion?" He heard Beshte call, allowing Kion to head towards him."What are you doing? I thought you and the others were going to run!"

"I couldn't leave you behind. Are you able to move?"

"I can't, the branch on my leg is too heavy. I could probably walk if I get the tree off, but my leg is hurt pretty bad, and with the sand getting in the wound, it's making the pain really tough to bear. I can't lift it right now." Kion, despite the sandstorm blowing against him, thought about how he could help his friend, and moved around Beshte. "What are you planning, Kion?"

"I'm gonna use the Roar against the storm. While I hold it off, you lift the tree off and start to run, okay?"

"I… Okay, Kion, but are you going to be okay?"

"Don't worry about me. Once you're near enough to the lair, I'll start to run with you. Here goes."

Kion dug his claws into the ground, took a deep breath and, summoning all of his strength, unleashed the Roar Of the Elders, the lions in the clouds forcing the storm back in an area wide enough for his friends to be unaffected by it. While the storm was held back, it wouldn't be for long. "Twinde kiboko!" Beshte shouted as he mustered the energy to get the tree branch off of his leg, knocking it to one side. As he stood up, his leg making the task more difficult, he looked to his leader, who was starting to struggle against the natural force behind the storm. "Kion, I'm free! You can stop!" Kion couldn't speak because of the Roar, but when Beshte saw the look in his eyes, he knew that Kion was giving him a chance to run. Beshte didn't want to leave Kion, but knew that his leg would slow him down, so he knew he had to take the chance Kion was giving him. "Alright. But don't force it too much."

Beshte then took off, while Kion continued to fight the storm. He knew it was a battle he couldn't win, but that wasn't the point- the point was to allow his friend a chance to get to safety, so Kion kept fighting it. He fought for nearly a whole minute, before deciding that it was time for him to run too. He cancelled the Roar, and looked back just in time to see in which direction the lair was before the storm overtook him. He immediately began to run again, using all of his remaining strength to keep himself going. Fortunately, the lair was near enough for him to reach, and within only a minute or so, he pushed through the vines. Only a small amount of sound entered as he made his way into the cave.

However, he took only a few steps into the cave, before he collapsed.


	3. Ch 3- Trapped

"Kion!" They all shouted, rushing towards the Lion Guard leader.

"Is he okay?" Fuli asked, frowning in concern.

Makini approached the lion cub and placed a hand against his side, then moved it to his forehead. "He seems to be okay," she told them, "just exhausted."

"I'm not surprised," Beshte spoke up. "He must have used up a lot of energy for that Roar."

"We heard him use the Roar, but we don't know why," Fuli pointed out, looking over at the hippo. "What happened out there?"

"My leg was trapped under a tree that had been struck by lightning. I was unable to move the tree while the storm was blowing, so Kion used the Roar to hold it back while I got away." He frowned, looking down to his toes. "I told him to stop when I got the tree off, but he kept going. If that hadn't happened…"

"Beshte, you can't blame yourself for this," Ono said calmly, patting him on the back with his wing. "It was a haboob, and no one can predict the damage they'll cause."

"A ha-what?" Bunga asked, prompting the egret to groan and roll his eyes.

"A haboob, Bunga. It's the term for a sandstorm that is caused by dry thunder."

"Really? Why not just call it a sandstorm?"

Ono groaned again, placing a wing over his eyes. "Because, Bunga, haboobs and regular sandstorms are different."

"Uh… if you say so." Fortunately for Ono, Bunga dropped this quickly, turning to Beshte with a wide grin. "But, yeah, relax, Big B! Kion will be just fine, he's been through worse!"

Beshte couldn't help but chuckle at the positivity the honey badger had. "Thanks, Little B. I needed that." Suddenly, they heard Kion groaning. Looking towards him, everyone saw that he wasn't moving much, but were all relieved to see him moving at all. "Looks like you were right."

Makini kneeled down in front of Kion. "Take it easy, Kion, you're okay," she told him. "You just used a little too much energy in the storm."

"Makini, it's okay. I'm fine," he said, in an attempt to reassure everyone. "Is everyone else okay?"

"We're all fine, Kion!" Bunga boasted. "A little sand isn't enough to stop us!"

Kion chuckled, but as he looked at Beshte, he remembered what happened in the storm. "How's your leg, Beshte?"

"It's fine now, Kion," the hippo told him with a smile, "just a little sore, but I'm okay."

"Do you mind if I have a look at it?" Makini asked, receiving a nod in response. She walked over to the hippo and looked at the injured leg, observing the extent of the injury. He winced a little when she accidentally touched it. "Sorry." She removed her hand from his leg. "That cut looks kinda deep. It should be okay for the night, but we need to wrap it in something to make sure it doesn't get infected, and Rafiki will be able to treat it better tomorrow." Looking around the cave, she saw some vines hanging from the ceiling, but they were too far up for her to reach, so she turned to Ono. "Can you fly up and grab some of those vines? They look the right size to cover the wound."

"I'm on it!" He replied. Immediately, he flew up and grabbed two of the vines in his beak, then pulled them down from the roof of the cave and flew down to hand them to Makini. "Here you go," he said, his voice muffled by the vines which he then placed in her hand.

"Thanks, Ono." She took the vines to the pool of water in the middle of the cave and gently soaked them in the water to clean them, gently shaking off the excess water, before returning to Beshte. She gently wrapped one around the injury, tight enough to apply some pressure, then tied it on before doing the same with the other vine on top of it. "That should do it."

"Thanks, Makini," he told her, flapping his ears to show his gratitude. He then looked over to Kion. "And thanks, Kion. You really saved me out there... but, why did you keep the Roar up so long? I was already safe from the tree, you could have left it right there."

"Don't worry, Beshte. Besides, I was worried the injury would slow you down a little, so I wanted to give you a chance to get back before any more sand got in your cut."

"I appreciate that, Kion, but you didn't have to do that."

"I did, Beshte. I know you're the strongest, but you're my friend. I wasn't going to leave you there, and we all swore to protect each other the day I chose you all to be the Lion Guard."

"Yeah… I guess you're right, Kion."

Kion smiled. "It's okay. Besides, I know you would have done the same for me." Suddenly, he noticed an odd taste in his mouth, and spat. "Ugh. I can still taste sand in my mouth."

He tried to get to his feet, but Makini stopped him. "Makini, I promise you. I'm okay, I just need a drink."

"… if you're sure, Kion."

He gave her a nod, then stood up and walked over to the pool, before taking a drink, sighing as he felt refreshed. "That's better."

"So, what do we do now, Kion?" Fuli asked.

"Well…" He was cut off as a loud boom erupted nearby, signalling that more lightning had struck, but still far in the distance. Everyone seemed to jump at this, but quickly regained composure. "It doesn't look like we'll be leaving any time soon. For now, all we can really do is wait it out. In the meantime, we'll take turns to watch the storm, in case there are any changes."

"I'll take first watch."

Kion smiled. "Thanks, Fuli."

She smiled back, saying "don't mention it," before taking her position at the entrance to the lair.

"In the meantime, everyone else, take it easy. We could be here for a while."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Rafiki's tree, Nala was beginning to pace about nervously. "Oh, Simba, where could he be? For all we know, he could still be out in that storm somewhere! He's just a cub, who knows what would happen to him?"

"Nala, you need to calm down," Simba told her gently, "I'm sure Kion is just fine."

"How can you possibly know that?!" She snapped, much to the surprise of both Simba, Kiara and herself, before she tiredly sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little on edge. I only wish that I knew where my son was."

"I know you do, and so do I. But I trust in my son, and I trust in the Guard to have found somewhere safe to wait out the storm." He saw that his comments, although honest, did little to quell her worries, so he walked over to her and nuzzles his head against hers. "Don't worry. I promise, once the storm is over, we will go and seek them out."

"Okay," she replied, her voice almost barely a whisper. "I know they will look after each other, I… I just can't help but worry."

"Mom? Dad?" They turned to hear Kiara ask. "Do you think the storm will last long?"

Simba sighed heavily. "It's hard to say, princess," he explained as bets he could, "it could be any moment now, it could be an hour, or it could last throughout the night. There's no way to predict how long it will last."

"Oh… but, we are safe here, right?"

She didn't get to hear them answer, as Rafiki reappeared, laughing while carrying what looked to be three bowls. "You have nothing to fear, Kiara! This tree is de oldest in de entire Pride Lands! Why, it has lasted since before de reign of Mohatu himself, and has faced thunderstorms worse than this! Other than Pride Rock, dis is de safest place in de Pride Lands."

"What do you have there, Rafiki?" Simba asked, gesturing towards the bowls in his hands.

"Well, I figured that de three of you might be feeling thirsty, so I prepared a little something for you!" He placed the bowls down in front of the lions, one each, showing the liquid within. "It is a mix of nectar from the abal flowers, with a diluted form of marula juice."

Kiara was about to take a drink, but Nala moved it away with her paw. Kiara looked up, curious as to why her mother wouldn't let her drink it, but never got the chance to ask. "Rafiki," Nala asked, "are you sure this is… safe… for a cub to drink?" 'I'd rather my daughter not experience that, especially with how I was on my honeymoon after I tried them,' she mentally noted.

Again, he laughed. "Fear not, your majesty. De marula is diluted enough for it to have no such effects as that which you are thinking. It is safe to drink for anyone, regardless of age."

Nala looked towards Kiara. "Let me try it first, sweetie. Just to be safe."

"Uh… okay?" Kiara replied, raising an eyebrow, unaware that Simba was chuckling himself. 'That was weird,' she thought. 'Why won't mom let me try it for myself? What could it possibly do?'

Once Nala had taken a drink, she savoured the taste for a second, before nodding and moving another bowl over to Kiara. "Okay, sweetie. Go ahead."

"… thanks, I guess?"

Whilst Kiara began to drink from her bowl, Simba beckoned for Rafiki to follow him. The mandrill walked with the king towards the entrance, where they could see the storm passing by. The winds blew ferociously, with the occasional tiny grain blowing into the tree. Not only that, but the skies would occasionally erupt with thunder, along with bursts of lightning striking the ground. The bursts were far away enough for them to see without worry about them hitting the tree, but not so far that they weren't in the Pride Lands.

"Rafiki," Simba asked, "be honest with me. How bad do you think this storm will get?"

The mandrill sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Sadly, there is little way for us to tell. I cannot contact de kings of de past while de storm is blowing, and past storms like this have ranged from an hour to three days. The only thing we can do is wait it out."

Simba groaned, hanging his head low. "Just the answer I was hoping I wouldn't hear." He glanced backwards towards his wife and daughter, who were examining the paintings in Rafiki's tree, then looked back to Rafiki. "As thankful as I am for you allowing us to stay here, I cannot help but worry about my son. There is no way for me to venture out there and look for him."

"I feel your plight, my king, I do." He glanced towards his staff, letting out a heavy sigh. "Makini is out there somewhere, and I cannot know where. She is more than an apprentice to me- you train someone in the way I have Makini, and the way that I was trained by my mentor, you form a bond with them."

Simba nodded. "I understand."

Suddenly, they heard a loud roar echoing throughout the Pride Lands. When Simba turned to him, Rafiki simply smiled. "That was unmistakably de Roar of de Elders. Your son is safe."

"That sounded like it came from the direction of Pride Rock."

Rafiki nodded. "If they are smart, like I think they are, then they will head to the lair, where they will be safe."

"I hope so." He then gave Rafiki a warm smile. "And I am sure that they found Makini and took her with them. They wouldn't leave her behind."

"I hope so, Simba. I really do."


	4. Ch 4- Time Passing By

An hour had passed since Fuli took first watch, and the Guard were beginning to settle in. The storm had refused to relent, and showed no signs of doing so anytime soon. Even with the storm, there wasn't much light entering the cave, given that it had been close to the evening when they first noticed the storm, so it was starting to get dark outside. What little light did get in through the opening in the roof of the cave reflected enough against the pool in the centre for everyone to see.

Kion decided to go see how Fuli was doing, noticing how quiet she had been. Walking towards her, he saw that she looked quite. "You okay, Fuli?" He asked, getting her to look up.

"Y-yeah," she replied quietly, standing up. "I'm fine, Kion."

Though he didn't fully believe her, he knew she wouldn't let him know otherwise at that time. "So, how does it look out there?"

"Not… not good, Kion. It's been pretty much the same, but it sounds like the thunder might be coming this way."

"Does it sound close?"

"Not very, but it sounds closer than it did."

Kion sighed. "Okay. Good work, Fuli." He turned to look at the others. "Guys? You can take it easy for now. It doesn't look like things are going to change any time soon."

"You sure?" Ono asked. "I can take watch if you like."

"That's okay, Ono. It looks like we'll be in for the long haul, so we might as well take it easy."

"Okay."

While the others returned to their conversation, Fuli and Kion started walking over to the other three. "Ugh," she groaned, stretching her hind leg, "my legs were starting to cramp up."

Kion chuckled. "Well, there isn't really much to do at the moment but sit down, so we might as well talk with the others for a bit." He saw her stop, and did the same. Looking at her face, he could tell something was on her mind, which concerned him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, it's… it's just… you… you really scared me there for a second." She looked him in the eyes, allowing him to see the hurt in them. "The moment you came in, and just… collapsed… I was afraid. More so than I've ever been. The idea that you… you..."

She refused to cry, and found herself unable to finish. Seeing how emotional Fuli was over this, Kion frowned. "I'm sorry. I really didn't want to scare you like that."

She laughed lightly, a small smile appearing. "I know you didn't- you were looking out for us, just like you always do. But, please- promise you'll be more careful next time."

He smiled as he nodded. "I promise."

She nodded back, before they continued walking towards the others. Bunga, Beshte,

Ono and Makini, putting their conversation on hold, looked towards the two felines when they approached them. "How are you doing, guys?"

"We're okay here, Kion," Makini spoke first. "How about you?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Fuli responded first.

"Same here," Kion added, then looked at the hippo. "What about you, Beshte? How's your leg?"

"It's fine, Kion," Beshte told him. "Thankfully, it doesn't hurt too bad, and thanks to Makini, it should be okay for tonight."

"That's good to hear."

"Hey, Kion?" Bunga asked. "How long until the storm ends?"

Fuli frowned. "It looks like it won't be ending anytime soon, Bunga. From what I could tell, we could be here all night."

Bunga pouted, crossing his arms. "Aww, man! That stinks!"

"I know it does, Bunga," Kion said, attempting to comfort his friend, "and I know you'll want to get out as soon as you can to check on Timon and Pumbaa, but there's nothing we can do. This is out of our control, but at least we're safe, and we have each other. We'll get out of here, we just have to be patient."

Bunga sighed heavily. "Yeah, you're right… I just wish there was something to do in here. I'm so bored!"

They all either laughed or rolled their eyes at this comment. 'That's Bunga,' Kion thought, shaking his head gently from side to side.

"Ooh! I know!" Makini exclaimed, standing up as an idea came to mind. "We could look at the paintings on the wall!"

Kion's eyes opened a bit more at the suggestion. "That's not a bad idea! These are the stories of the Pride Lands, not to mention all of the previous Guards- maybe they dealt with a haboob during their reign." Makini led the others to the wall that was covered in different paintings, the majority of them no doubt by Rafiki. As they gazed at the paintings, depicting the vast and interesting history of the Pride Lands, going back even further than Kion's great grandfather Mohatu and the Guard led by his brother, Kion noticed that there was one painting of the current Guard which he had never seen before. "Hey, Makini?" The mandrill walked over to Kion upon hearing him call her name. "When was this painting done?"

They all gathered around her as Makini looked at the painting with a smile. "Oh, this painting! Actually, I did this one a couple of days ago. Rafiki asked me to practice my painting by adding a painting of you guys to the wall. It's of the first time you guys saved me at the volcano. What do you think?"

"It looks really good!" Beshte answered, smiling widely.

"Really?!"

"Are you kidding? It's unbungalievable!" Makini blushed at the enthusiastic response, smiling meekly. "Seriously, it's awesome! Right, Fuli?"

"Hmm… I'm not sure if you captured my good side," Fuli told her sarcastically with a smirk, causing them all to laugh again. "Nah, I'm kidding. It looks great, Makini."

"Aww… thanks, guys!"

"The wall looks great, but I think there's just one thing that would make it look better."

Makini looked at Kion, a little confused by Kion's statement, as were the others. "Really? What's that?"

Kion smiled confidently as he looked at the mandrill. "You see how Rafiki is in some of the paintings, next to the Royal Family or the Guard?" She nodded. "Well, I think there should be a painting with you in there somewhere. After all, you're going to be the next Royal Mjuzi, which means you will play a big role in the future of the Pride Lands. Plus- and I think the others agree with me- you're our friend. It would be wrong for you not to be up there with us."

The others all voiced their approval at Kion's gesture, and Makini found herself overwhelmed by their kindness. She was on the brink of crying out of pure joy. "You guys… you don't know how much that means to me… Thank you so much!"

"Aww, group hug!" Bunga cheered, pulling Makini and Fuli towards him in a big hug, which Beshte and Kion quickly joined. Even though Fuli wasn't particularly comfortable being hugged like this, she smiled along with the others. "Get over here, Ono!"

"Huh?" The egret saw the group hug and immediately flew over. "Wait for me!"

Everyone started laughing as the egret joined them, wrapping his wings around Beshte and Makini. 'Despite everything that's happening,' Kion thought, 'we're still able to look after each other. That's what really counts.' Eventually, they released the hug. "Don't worry, guys, we'll get out of here. All we have to do is wait."

"So, what should we talk about in the meantime?" Beshte asked. Everyone took a second to think about a topic, before Bunga thought of something.

"Ooh! Ooh! I know!" He turned to Makini. "How did you meet Rafiki?"

"Hey, yeah! Rafiki never told us how he chose you as his apprentice!" Ono pointed out. "Was it him that asked you, or did you ask him?"

"That's actually not that much of a story, but since you want to know, I'd be happy to share it." They all moved away from the wall of paintings and sat near the pool, almost in a circle. "It was a couple of weeks before I first met you guys. Before I met Rafiki, I lived in a small jungle towards the North of the Pride Lands with all of the other mandrills. Back then, I never imagined I would leave my home, as everyone was quite happy there, including me. However, one day, an old mandrill came to our home, and he said that he was visiting his old home."

"Was that Rafiki?" Bunga asked, holding his toes while he listened intently.

Makini nodded. "He met with the elder of my home, an old friend of his, who gathered everyone up so we could meet him. He spoke about some of the things he did in the Pride Lands, and I was in awe of the way he spoke with such wisdom. When he was about to leave the village, I went up to him. I remember, he told me, _"what can I do for you, little one?"_ , and I asked him if he could teach me to be like him."

"But, wouldn't your parents have been concerned?" Beshte asked. "After all, you would have been leaving home while really young."

"Rafiki did point that out, but he must have sensed something about me, because he agreed to talk with them about it, and when they realised how much I wanted to do this, they agreed to let me train under him. It was a bit hard at first to leave them, and I still visit them every once in a while, but seeing new parts of the Pride Lands was so incredible, and not only have I learnt so much thanks to him, but I got to make new friends such as you guys. This was the best decision I've ever made, and I really hope I can make Rafiki proud one day."

"I know you will, Makini," Kion told her, giving her a smile that gave her confidence. "If anything, I'd say you already have."

"Thanks, Kion. So, since I've told you guys how I met Rafiki, why don't you guys tell me how you all met?"

Fuli smirked. "This could be a long story…"

* * *

More than a couple of hours had passed since Rafiki brought the royal family into his tree, and the storm was still thick and heavy. The thunder that boomed every time that lightning struck the ground had grown louder and louder as the storm blew past his tree. 'It won't be long now,' he thought to himself, before he turned to look at the lions that were in his home. Whilst Kiara was now fast asleep in her mother's embrace, her parents were talking to each other. As the old mandrill looked over at them, the king turned his head to him. He turned back to his wife, whispered something to Nala and nuzzled her tenderly, then did the same to Kiara, before he stood up and approached Rafiki. "How are things looking, Rafiki?" He spoke, loud enough so he could be heard over the storm but not so loud that he would wake his daughter.

"The storm is continuing its course," he explained. "Judging the sounds of the thunder, it will not be long before it passes us. However, Pride Rock is further in the direction that the storm blows. It will not be safe to go tonight, but I believe that the storm will have passed it by the time the sun rises."

"I see," he sighed heavily. "So, that means Kion and his friends will still be in the storm for a while longer, right?"

"That is correct." He saw that the king was downhearted at this answer, so he placed a hand on the lion's shoulder. "Fear not- for, if they made it to the cave, then they will be safe."

"I… I guess you're right."

"You guess?! Have you not learnt by now not to question me?!"

Simba laughed. "Actually, sometimes I think I should question you more." Both Rafiki and Simba laughed at this, whilst being careful not to awaken the princess. When they stopped laughing, they looked at each other. "Thank you, my friend. Without you, we might not be safe right now."

Rafiki simply held up a hand. "You don't need to thank me- like I told you and your family earlier, the royal mjuzi will always be loyal to the Royal Family."

"And you will forever be a friend of ours because of that." Simba suddenly yawned. "It must be late out- I'm going to join my family and call it a night."

"Of course, my king."

"Goodnight, Rafiki." The mandrill gave him the same statement, and whilst Rafiki made his way to get some sleep by himself, Simba returned to Nala and Kiara, lying down next to them. He looked at his wife, and saw that she was still concerned. "Everything will be fine in the morning," he whispered whilst placing his paw on top of hers.

"I know they will," she replied, frowning. "I just can't help but worry about Kion. Who knows if he made it?"

"Did you hear him use the Roar before?" She nodded, and he smiled lovingly at her. "Well, then, you have nothing to worry about. As long as he has his friends and the Roar, he will be safe."

She smiled back. "You always know the right things to say."

"Only because you inspire me to." They nuzzled again, thus calming her worries. When they released, they looked each other in the eyes. "Let's get some sleep, and in the morning, we'll find our son."

"Okay." They both rested against each other, closing their eyes as they prepared to sleep through the storm. "Goodnight, my king."

"Goodnight, my queen."


	5. Ch 5- The Storm In Our Minds

"So, there I was," Bunga spoke as dramatically as possible, "standing on the rock next to Kiara, surrounded by a herd of wildebeest stampeding past on either side. With no one else who could help us, and Kiara feeling scared, I did the only thing I could, and with a mighty leap, I dispersed the entire herd, and was recognised as a hero!"

Makini looked at Bunga in awe, having heard over the past hour the stories of how they all met, and how the Lion Guard was formed. "Woah… really?"

"That's some imagination, Bunga," Beshte chuckled, "but you know that wasn't exactly how it happened."

"For one thing, you weren't deemed a hero, as such," Ono pointed out.

"Also, it was Fuli who got you close enough so that you could leap in to help my sister," Kion added.

"And it wasn't a leap that stopped them in their tracks," Fuli also added, looking unamused. "You scared them off with a fart."

Everyone else laughed at this, while Bunga just smirked. "Hey, what can I say? I'm a born legend teller. Plus, it was the tools that my uncles gave me, and without them, we might not be here as the Lion Guard."

"As bizarre as what you are saying is, you're not far off," Ono told the honey badger, who beamed with pride.

"And ever since then, you guys have been saving the Pride Lands from all kinds of forces, both big and small," Makini spoke up, still somewhat in awe.

"Well, it's our job," Kion explained. "This is our home, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure peace and prosperity throughout." Everyone voiced their agreement to this, but before anyone could say anything more, they were startled by a crash of thunder, the loudest they had heard yet. "Ono, how close is that to us?"

"Sounds pretty close, Kion!" Ono replied. "Based on how long it's been since we got here, and how much louder it's been getting, it should pass us in about an hour." Bunga cheered at this. "However, it's getting late, so we should probably call it a night."

"That sounds like a good idea, Ono," Kion told him, before looking at the others. "Goodnight, you guys."

"Goodnight!"

With that, they all began to find spots to get to sleep- Ono flew onto a small rock on the ground in one corner of the cave, Bunga went up to a wall and rested his back up against it in a way to try and get comfortable, Makini did the same as Bunga but at a different spot, and Beshte laid down just next to the water. Whilst Kion found a relatively soft spot of ground to lay down on, he looked over at Fuli, and noticed that she wasn't as eager to try and get some sleep. Standing up, he walked over to her. "Fuli?" He whispered, getting her to look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, "why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you don't look like you want to go to sleep," he told her honestly. "How come?"

"Oh, that! Well… it's just that, I don't… I mean, I'm not as… comfortable, sleeping inside a cave."

He tilted his head at her, not fully understanding the cheetah. "How come?"

She looked nervous as she tried to explain. "Well, it's just that… I… prefer sleeping outside! That's… pretty much all there is to it, actually."

He had a feeling in his gut that there was more to it than that, but he knew she wouldn't give it up willingly. "So, what do you wanna do? Wait until the storm passes to sleep outside? Who knows how long that could take! Besides, I'd rather know that you're safe tonight."

"No, you're right. I'll be fine, just… give me a minute to find a spot."

"Fuli, are you sure you're-" He stopped when he saw her walk over to a small patch of grass near the water. She walked in a circle to soften the ground before lying down, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Kion sighed. 'You sure know how to be stubborn, huh?' He shook his head before lying back down where he was before. He looked over at the cheetah, seeing that she was seemingly comfortable in her rest, before closing his own eyes.

Had he stayed awake, however, he would have noticed that her slumber was not quite so peaceful.

* * *

 _Fuli looked around, confused to see that she was near the giraffes' roaming grounds. "Huh?" She asked. "How did I get here?"_

" _Janja! Stop this at once!" She turned around and saw Kion, pinning the aforementioned hyena to the ground. Looking to the side, she saw Beshte holding Cheezi down, and looking beneath her own paws, she saw that she was doing the same to Chungu._

' _Wait, what?' She thought. 'Haven't we already been through this? This was just before the…' Her eyes went wide. 'Oh no.'_

" _I shoulda known you'd come to spoil our meal," the hyena grumbled, glaring at the Lion Guard leader. "Why can't you ever leave us be?"_

" _It's because you don't care about the Circle of Life!" Beshte answered. "All you care about is your own selfish desires."_

 _Janja simply laughed. "You don't actually believe that, do ya? I swear-"_

" _Who cares?!" Fuli yelled, desperation in her voice. "Kion, just send them back with the Roar so we can go."_

 _Kion glanced back at the cheetah, confused by her tone. "Fuli? What's wrong?"_

" _Nothing, I'd just… rather not be here any longer, okay?"_

" _You better listen to her, Kion!" Janja taunted. "Wouldn't want to make your girly friend mad!"_

 _Cheezi and Chungu joined their leader in laughter, causing Kion to glare down at his foe. "Be quiet! Now, I'm going to give you one chance- leave now, or we will force you to leave."_

" _Kion, don't do it. Just use the Roar and-"_

 _Janja's sigh cut her off. "I can see we ain't winnin' here. Fine, we'll go."_

" _Kion, he's going to-"_

" _Be sure you do." Despite her pleas, Fuli watched as Kion allowed Janja to get to his feet, with Beshte doing the same to Cheezi. Kion saw that she refused to let Chungu up, but before she could respond, she saw Janja form a grin. "Behind you!"_

 _Kion turned around at the warning, but was unable to prevent himself from being pinned by the leader of the hyena clan. Beshte saw this, but couldn't do anything when Cheezi jumped at it, prompting the hippo to try and shake him off. Fuli tried to help Kion, but the second she took her paws off of Chungu, he leaped up and pinned her to the ground, causing her to growl._

" _Ha! You really thought we'd leave! Your brains really are mush!" He lowered his head, sneering at the scowling Lion cub. "I'm gonna enjoy getting rid of you pests!" Kion spat in his face, turning his sneer into a scowl. "Okay, now I'm REALLY going to enjoy it."_

" _You won't get a chance, Janja!" Fuli yelled, trying to squirm free from Chungu's surprisingly strong grip. "Now leave while you can!"_

 _He laughed loudly in response. "Like that's gonna happen! What's there to stop me from sending my claws across the little prince's-"_

" _Janja!" They heard Mzingo call as the vulture flew near. "We have to leave- now!"_

" _Relax, Mzingo! The Lion Guard isn't going anywhere, so we've got plenty of-"_

" _No, we don't! If we don't leave now, we may never get out of here!"_

 _Janja, noticing the concerned look in his ally's eyes, realised that he was being completely serious. Sighing, he turned back to Kion. "Looks like ya'll live another day." He turned to his two allies. "Boys! Let's go!"_

 _With that, the three hyenas fled after the vulture, returning to the Outlands. As they did so, Kion and Fuli both got to their feet, while Beshte walked over to his friends. "That was… easy?" Beshte spoke._

" _Head back to the lair," Fuli told them. "I'll find Ono and Bunga and meet you there, now go!"_

 _With that, she took off in the direction that the honey badger and egret left before, ignoring the calls from her friends. She ran as fast as she could knowing what was coming her way, until finally she saw Bunga and Ono heading her way._

" _Fuli! Turn back!" Ono tried to warn. "There's a storm coming!"_

" _I know there is!" She called back, coming to a stop in front of them. "Hop on!" Bunga and Ono looked at each other before climbing onto the cheetah's back, with the honey badger holding onto the egret as well as her. "Hang on tight!"_

 _She turned and began running back the way she came, going to her full speed then exceeding it a little out of desperation. Upon seeing Kion and Beshte heading their way, she groaned. 'I thought I told them to head to the cave!' She mentally sighed._

" _Fuli!" Kion asked. "What's going on?"_

" _There's a storm coming! We need to get to the lair!"_

" _What?"_

" _RUN!"_

 _Kion could tell Fuli was being fully serious, so he nodded to Beshte, and the two of them joined the others in fleeing from the storm. Looking over his shoulder, Kion saw the dark storm clouds and the impending sandstorm. "Hevi kabisa!"_

" _I thought I told you two to go back to the lair!" She scolded._

" _Sorry, but I wasn't going to leave you out here! How did you even know the storm was coming?"_

" _When Mzingo told Janja they had to leave, I remembered what you said about Rafiki's warnings, and I figured that the storm must be why."_

" _That's… surprisingly astute of you!" Ono pointed out. Fuli cleared her throat, causing him to panic. "N-n-not that you're not smart, of course. I-I just meant-"_

" _Save it! You can apologise back at the lair, once we make it!"_

" _Shouldn't we head to Pride Rock instead?" Beshte asked._

" _Not a good idea," Ono pointed out, "we wouldn't be protected from the storm, or if anything is sent flying our way! All the caves face the opposite storm that the storm is blowing!"_

" _I don't think we should go for high ground either," Fuli added. "Doubt we would get high enough."_

" _No. There's nowhere that high near enough for us to reach before the storm reaches us. The force of the storm would make it impossible for us to climb something that high safely!"_

" _Well, is the lair close enough?" Kion asked._

" _I think so! Plus, we should be safe there too, as the vines that cover the main entrance are thick enough to stop the sandstorm getting in!"_

" _Bunga, let Ono fly up so he can lead the way!"_

" _No need, Kion!" Ono replied, using his supreme vision to spot the cave despite the distance. "I've got eyes on it, it's straight ahead!"_

 _With that, they kept running. Fuli didn't dare to look back, knowing that the storm was coming. She could already feel small grains starting to prick against the back of her neck. 'Just keep running, Fuli,' she reminded herself. 'You're the fastest in the Pride Lands, you can beat this storm!'_

" _We're almost there, Lion Guard!" Kion called out, now being fully able to see the familiar cave in the distance. "Just a little longer!"_

" _Let's hope we get there before the storm gets to us!" Fuli called back._

" _HELP!" They heard someone cry, and looking ahead, they saw Makini attempting to free her staff from underneath a fallen tree branch. Looking at the Guard, they saw the panic in her eyes. "Lion Guard, help!"_

" _Makini!" Kion stopped running, prompting the others to do the same. "We have to help her!"_

" _But, what about the-"_

" _Then let's do it fast!" Fuli replied, cutting Bunga off before dashing over to the mandrill. "Makini, are you alright?" She asked, while Beshte and Kion approached them._

" _I'm okay, but I was meditating by the tree when suddenly, the branch above snapped. I tried to dodge it, but my staff got caught."_

" _I bet I can get it out," Bunga boasted, leaping off the cheetah's back. "Stand back!" He grabbed hold of the staff and began to pull with all his might, only to send himself flying when his grip failed him. "Or, maybe not."_

" _It looks really stuck," Ono pointed out._

" _Makini, I know you don't want to lose another staff, but with the storm coming, we need to get somewhere safe," Fuli explained with a serious gaze._

" _But…"_

" _Don't worry," Kion assured. "You'll find another one."_

 _Makini hung her head and sighed, before looking back up at the Guard. "Alright"_

 _Kion smiled. "Alright. In that case, come with us. You'll be safe back at the Lair."_

 _Makini nodded, and the six of them began heading for the cave once more, with Bunga and Ono once again using the cheetah as transportation. They could feel the storm getting closer, but Fuli was determined to outrun it. "Fuli, slow down! The others are falling behind!" Ono called out._

" _I know what I'm doing, Ono!" She shot back. "If I stay ahead of the storm, we can guide the others towards the cave if the storm catches up with them." Ono opened his mouth to respond. "Just trust me."_

 _Ono pauses, before nodding. "Alright."_

 _So, she kept on running, calling out to the other three behind her, never slowing down. Her desperation to reach the cave before the storm reached them fuelled her, causing her to go faster than she had ever done before, to the point where they were closer._

" _Aah!" She heard Beshte scream, and looking behind her, she saw that the storm had already overtaken the hippo._

" _Beshte!" Kion shouted._

" _Keep going, Kion! I'll be fine!"_

 _Kion mulled it over, before turning to Fuli and the others. "You guys and Makini, keep going to the cave! I'm going to help Beshte!"_

" _Are you nuts?! You'll-"_

" _Alright!" Fuli called out, as she cut off the keenest of sight's disapproval of the plan. "Be careful!"_

" _I will!"_

 _She nodded, before running towards the cave again. "Fuli, turn back!" Bunga called out, though it fell on deaf ears. "We have to help him!"_

" _I will, but I'm getting you guys to the cave first!"_

" _You can't help him alone-"_

" _And you guys won't make it to the cave if you go back! You'll get lost in the storm, and it'll take us forever to find you, or you'll be left out there!" This silenced the usually brash honey badger, and by the time they reached the cave, he hadn't said a word, even as he dismounted her. They all turned away as they heard a mighty roar. Turning around, they all saw Kion in the distance, using the Roar Of the Elders to force back the storm while Beshte freed himself from a fallen tree. "Just stay here and make sure Makini gets here safely."_

 _Before either Ono or Bunga could respond, she was off, running with her last remaining energy to try and reach the lion cub. She dashed past Makini, then later past Beshte. Just as she saw Kion was close enough to call out to him, the Roar faded away, and the storm overtook him. "Kion!"_


	6. Ch 6- Fears

**(A/N: sorry this took so long to upload, Uni is a real pain in the ass right now. Thank you all for reading, and enjoy!)**

 _Fuli ran blindly into the storm, not caring how the grains of sand made her wince when they got in her eye or how the storm was blowing directly in her face. Despite being the fastest in the Pride Lands, the sheer force of the winds were slowing her down considerably, forcing her to use every ounce of strength in her body to keep moving forward. "Kion!" She called out desperately, despite her voice being muffled by the echoing sounds of the storm. "Where are you?!" She heard no response, so she kept trudging forward, looking left and right as she went, looking for any sign of the lion cub who led the patrol every day. "Shout if you can hear me!"_

 _She leapt up and spun around when she heard a crash of thunder to her East, causing her fur to stick on end. "KION!" She screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU?!"_

" _Fuli?" She heard a voice call. Though it was heavily muffled by the sounds of the continuous thunder and the ever present sandstorm that obscured her vision as well as hearing, she knew it could only belong to one animal in particular._

" _Kion!" She called out in response. "Can you hear me?"_

" _Fuli?!"_

" _I'm heading to you!" She ran in the direction that she heard his voice, making sure not to let the storm knock her off balance. "Hang on!"_

" _Fuli! Can you hear me?!"_

" _I hear you, Kion! Can you hear-"_

 _She was cut off by another flash of lightning, this one appearing so close in front of her that the intense light pierced through the sandstorm, causing Fuli to fall backwards at the sudden shock. She was quick to get to her feet. "KION! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!"_

" _FULI!" His voice was louder this time, but it came from a different direction. Though she was confused about where it came from, she was intent on finding him, so she took off once again._

" _Aah!" She screamed, as once again, a flash of lightning struck the ground before her. She fell backwards again, but was quick to get to her feet once more. However, this didn't last long, as when she tried looking for Kion again, she saw something headed her way, and despite her superior speed, she couldn't move out of the way in time as a large tree branch was blown at her with tremendous force, knocking her down and trapping her by her hind legs. She was quick to shake off the initial impact, but grew fearful upon realising the full extent of her predicament._

' _No, no, no, no, no, no, no!' She panicked in her head, eyes growing wide and breathing growing rapid. She tried with all her might to pull herself free, but no matter what, she couldn't release herself- she was trapped. As she heard thunder crashing all around her, her anxiety rose higher and higher._

" _KION!" She cried out. "HELP!"_

" _FULI!" He called back, over and over as she called out to him, but he wouldn't appear, and just when she thought it would be over, she looked up, and time seemed to slow down as a huge flash of lightning appeared heading right down towards her. Knowing it was inevitable at that point, all Fuli could do was scream and look away, the last thing she could hear being Kion screaming her name one last time._

" _FULI!"_

* * *

"KION!" Fuli shot up to her feet, panicked. Looking around, she realised that, as opposed to the violent sandstorm, she was back in the Lair, and her friends were all with her and safe, including Kion, though they had very worried expressions on their faces. Understandable, given that the usually proud and confident cheetah had just woken up screaming, and was currently close to hyperventilating, with tears threatening to pour down her face. "What's going on?!" She asked.

"It's okay, Fuli," Beshte told her calmly, "you just had a nightmare."

"You're safe with us," Kion added, his voice slightly calming her nerves. "It's over now."

Fuli now realised just how rapidly she was breathing, so she started to collect herself, taking a couple of deep breaths. "I'm… I'm fine, you guys… really… you don't need to worry about me," she attempted to reassure them, though it did little to convince them.

Bunga, with an eyebrow raised, crossed his arms. "Really? Because you sound and look like you've just met the Zimwi," he replied, receiving sharp glares from Kion and Ono for his trouble. "What, she does!"

"You do seem a little shaken, Fuli," Makini pointed out.

"Look, it… it doesn't matter, it was just a stupid nightmare, and it's over now," the cheetah stubbornly grumbled. "Let's just… go back to sleep so the stupid storm can pass us already."

Kion, however, was not one to give up when it came to those he cared for. "Fuli," he said with a warm and caring tone in his voice, taking a couple of steps towards her, "for the past few months, whenever I had a nightmare, you were almost always one of the first to see what was wrong, and you were able to help me, just by being there. It's time for me to return the favour, so please, Fuli… let me help you." As she looked into his eyes, as well as the warmth that showed he was genuine in his care for her, Fuli also noticed his determination, and could instantly tell that he wouldn't take no for an answer. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Thank you. So, what happened in your nightmare?"

She took a deep breath before answering. "Well, it started back when we confronted Janja earlier. Everything played out pretty much the same, except I knew what was going to happen. So, once the hyenas retreated, I ran to find Bunga and Ono, and headed back to you with them so we could start heading for the Lair." She saw it reappear in the back of her mind, causing her to frown as she relived it. "I did everything I could to try and speed things up before the storm could hit us, even carrying Bunga and Ono straight to the cave, so that I could get back to you… but the storm overtook you once you stopped using the Roar." She could feel the tears threatening to break through but she held strong. "I wasn't going to lose you like that, so… I ran in to try and find you. I called out for you, and when I heard you call back, I ran towards you, except I never found you. I kept seeing lightning crash in front of me, stopping me whenever I thought I was getting close, until… I got trapped."

Kion, though he could sense that he wouldn't like where this was going, he asked, "trapped how?"

"By a tree, like how Beshte was earlier." The hippo frowned, looking down at his injured leg as he remembered what caused it. "I tried pulling myself free, but it was too heavy. I tried calling for help but there was no one around to hear me… and then… I looked up and saw… lightning, coming right for me…" She saw the frowns on her friends' faces, and gently shook her head. "It's okay, guys. That was when I woke up, it's over. Just a stupid nightmare, so let's just move on and go back to sleep."

Kion stepped forward. "Fuli, it's okay if you're shaken by that," he told her. "Nightmares occur for everyone, and they can leave us shaken. You've seen what I've been like after I've had a nightmare, and-"

"I know, Kion, but this isn't like that, it's really just nothing, so can't we just-"

The cheetah's words were cut off as a loud boom of thunder echoed above them, causing everyone to snap their gaze upwards. "Woah! That was wicked!" Bunga called out.

"That was a lot closer," Beshte pointed out.

"Judging by how much louder it was, I'd say we were only asleep for an hour, maybe an hour and a half," Ono estimated. "It sounds as though it's about to pass over us, so the storm itself should be past us in about thirty minutes."

"Thanks, Ono," Kion responded. "Well, I guess all we can really do right now is try and go back to-" He stopped upon seeing Fuli, still looking upwards. Despite the angle of her gaze, he could just about identify a sense of fear in her eyes, accompanied with slightly panicked breathing. "Fuli? You okay?"

"Huh?" She snapped her head towards him, then shook her head slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm-" She shuddered upon another crash of thunder, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm totally fine."

"Are you sure?" Kion asked, stepping towards her again. "You don't seem-" Yet again, a crash of thunder caused her to flinch, her body shuddering. "Fuli, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, of course I am! Why wouldn't I-" After another crash of thunder caused her to flinch once again, she growled angrily. "Why can't this stupid storm be over already?!"

The others looked confused for a second, until Ono asked something. "Fuli, don't take this the wrong way, but… are you afraid of thunder?" She snapped her head in his direction, sending a glare so harsh it could kill. "Fuli, there's nothing wrong with having a fear! Most animals in the Pride Lands are afraid of something."

"I am NOT afraid, okay, Ono?" she snapped back. "I just hate being stuck in here all night!" Another crash of thunder, and yet again, she flinched, though more so this time. "There's no way some stupid weather can scare-" She shuddered after the thunder crashed down again, her body shaking. "It's all natural, it-it's just-" As the thunder crashed down once more, she growled once more, her resolve fading. "ALRIGHT, FINE! I HATE THUNDER! HAPPY?! I HATE THUNDER, AND I HATE BEING TRAPPED IN HERE!"

As the cheetah began to pace about, Kion grew concerned. "Fuli, calm down!" He advised. "It's okay, the storm won't get to us in here! It's okay to-"

"NO! IT'S NOT OKAY!" Kion practically jumped back at the sudden retort. "I DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK IN HERE WHILE THERE'S A FREAKING THUNDERSTORM GOING ON OUTSIDE!"

Makini stepped forward, placing her hands on the frantic cheetah's shoulders. "It's okay, Fuli, just breathe," the mjuzi in training suggested. "In," Fuli shakily breathed inward, "and out," Fuli again followed her instruction. "Again, in… and out." Fuli continued to follow Makini's instruction, breathing deeply in and out, trying to settle her nerves. Her breathing began to relax a little, but the ever continuously raging storm outside made this difficult, as every time the cheetah finally felt calm, another crash of thunder would fuel her phobia once more.

"It's no good, Makini!" the cheetah growled. "As long as that stupid storm continues, I'm never going to settle, so just drop it!"

Makini solemnly nodded, before walking back to the others, where Bunga stood with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. "Hey, come on, Fuli! All she wanted was to help!"

She snapped her head in the honey badger's direction. "Bunga, be quiet!"

"Why are you being so angry with me? All we want is to help and you keep throwing at back at us! What is it that's making you so scared?!"

Her eyes narrowed. "I am not getting into that, Bunga, so don't. Push it."

While Ono, Beshte, Kion and Makini all saw how tense the situation was getting, Bunga was getting angry. "Why not? Are you too proud to talk about stuff like this?!"

Her eyes shot wide as her pupils dilated, like they did whenever she was engaged in a hunt. "Too PROUD?!"

"Uh Oh," Beshte and Ono both uttered.

Fuli began prowling towards Bunga. "Don't you DARE try and pin this on me being proud! You have NO IDEA what I went through, so don't even try and act like you do!"

"Then tell us what it is!"

"Why should I?! You don't exactly sound like you care right now!"

Kion stepped forward, hoping to diffuse the situation as the thunder outside began to be hidden behind the anger on display. "Guys, let's try and talk about this calmly, alright?"

Bunga ignored the suggestion. "I do care, Fuli, but if you want us to help, then you need to open up to us!"

"You couldn't help me anyway!"

"So you ARE too proud to accept our help!"

Her teeth clenched together tightly, feeling the proverbial fuse growing shorter and shorter, nearing its limit. "I am NOT TOO PROUD!"

"THEN TELL US!"

"BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I LOST MY FATHER!"


	7. Ch 7- The Apex Of The Storm

The storm that raged outside clashed with the all but deafening silence that echoed within the cave, the honey badger having been silenced by the cheetah's sudden revelation. Fuli stood there, breathing heavily as the tears brimmed in her eyes yet again, knowing that she would eventually be unable to hold them back. "What?" Bunga asked, as he and the others stared on in disbelief.

"You heard me," Fuli replied, the sadness clear in her voice. "The reason I hate thunderstorms is because that's how I lost my father."

"But, I thought you said that your parents left you, and that it was a cheetah thing?" Ono inquired.

The cheetah frowned. "That's only partly true. That's why I don't see my mom anymore, and had my dad been around, then he would have joined her."

Her choice of words caused the Strongest member of the Guard to flatten his ears and frown. "Gee… I'm sorry to hear that, Fuli," he offered.

She gave a small, dry laugh. "Don't be. You weren't there, there was nothing you could have done."

"How did it happen?"

Kion glared over at the honey badger. "Bunga, no!" He scolded, before relaxing his face and looking back at Fuli. "You don't have to tell us," he assured, his voice caring and calm. "We won't force you to."

She shook her head at him. "It's fine, I… need to let it out now that I'm thinking about it, anyway." A couple of tears found their way down her face, dropping to the first. 'And it's not gonna stop there, either,' she mentally reminded herself as she took a deep breath. "It happened before I met any of you, like, when I was only a few weeks old. I'd only just begun to walk a week or so before then, and my parents decided to let me go to the Watering Hole by myself for the first time, so I could start to figure out my own way around the Pride Lands. We'd slept quite a bit away, so it was a long walk, but by the time we got there, I just remember being so excited to go out by myself. I got there, and just remember enjoying myself…" The tears started breaking through. "Until my mom and dad came."

Kion could sense that the story was only going to get worse from there, but he stayed strong. "What happened then?"

"They just came running towards me, worried looks on their faces. I heard mom screaming, telling me to run. I didn't know what was going on, but I looked behind them and saw… dark, massive, thunderous clouds, heading in our direction. I saw the lightning, crashing down into the ground in the distance and completely froze. It just looked so… frightening. I didn't even know what it was, or why my mom was screaming at me, but I snapped it of it when I felt her lift me up. She grabbed me and just started running again. I asked my dad why we were running, and he said that we need to get to safety."

* * *

" _We need to find somewhere to wait out the storm, Moyo!" the male cheetah said to his month-old cub, currently looking at him with a confused, scared look on her face while being carried by her mother._

" _Storm?" A young Fuli asked her father. "What's that?"_

" _Those clouds behind us! Storms are very dangerous, Moyo, so we need to find shelter!" All Fuli could do was accept this and hope that they reached shelter soon. The closer the storm got to them, the more the cub could hear the sounds of thunder, and it scared her. As the cub began to whimper, the male looked over with a sad smile. "Fuli, look at me." The cub obliged, showing her teary eyes. "It's going to be alright. We're going to find shelter, and we'll be safe until the storm passes us, but I need you to be brave for me. Can you do that for me?"_

 _Fuli sniffled, before giving a weak nodded. "Okay."_

 _He nodded back. "Don't worry, Moyo, we're going to get through this." They kept running, the storm catching up on them slowly but surely. Though all she wanted to do was start screaming in fear, Fuli stayed tough for her father. The two adult cheetah's continued to run, not allowing themselves to stop. Even as the storm became close to reaching them, they kept running. Eventually, they saw a cave in the distance. "Up ahead! We're almost there, just keep running and-" A loud crash of thunder could be heard once again, and a bright flash of lightning to the left of the female cheetah caused them to temporarily stop. Before they could keep running, the male saw where the lightning had struck and gasped. "LOOK OUT!"_

 _Before the female cheetah could respond or do anything, she felt her husband push her away, causing her to fall and let go of Fuli, who landed on her feet. Looking back at her husband, she gasped as her heart broke- her husband was on the ground, with a fallen tree trapping his hind legs. "Amana!" She called out, running towards him. Fuli wasn't far behind, running to meet her father's pained gaze. "Are you alright?"_

" _I… I can't… move…" His wife's face became teary as she realised what he meant. "Kasi, you need to listen to me. You need to take Fuli and run."_

" _WHAT?! I can't leave you here, Amana!"_

" _You HAVE to! You have to make sure she's safe."_

" _But… but what about you?"_

 _He sighed. "I'm sorry… but know that, no matter what, I will always be with you in spirit."_

 _She knew he was right, but it broke her heart to even think about it. "I… Okay…" She leaned down and kissed him on the lips. "I love you, Amana."_

" _I love you too, Kasi." He looked at the cub, seeing the tears on her face, and gave a small chuckle. "I thought you were going to stay strong for me?" This didn't cease her frowning. "Come closer, Moyo." She obliged, walking up to her father so they could nuzzle each other. "You and your mother need to be strong for each other. Promise me that."_

" _I… I…" She gulped, before nodding. "I promise."_

" _Thank you, Fuli. I love you, so, so much. You will forever be my moyo."_

" _I love you too, Baba."_

" _I know you do. Now run, both of you."_

" _Come on, Fuli," Kasi told her daughter, her voice breaking, before picking up her daughter and running for the cave, leaving her husband behind._

* * *

"That was the last time we ever saw my father," Fuli continued, her facial fur now drenched in her tears, which left a small puddle at her feet. "My mother and I reached the cave, and stayed there throughout the storm, but without him there, I couldn't stay strong. Mom held me throughout, trying her best to keep me calm every time we heard thunder. We stayed there the rest of the day, and when we went to find him, we saw that he… that he was… struck, in the storm. Ever since then, I've always been afraid that, whenever I hear thunder, I might meet the same fate. Either that, or I would lose someone else, just like I lost him." She sniffled. "I don't want to go through that again, because that storm took my father away from him, and I would never be able to see him again, have him hold me close… hear him call me… his moyo… his heart…"

This was what it took for Fuli to finally break down, collapsing to her knees as she sobbed. Kion, knowing how much Fuli had helped him through, refused to stand by and watch her do this, so he rushed forward to hug her, allowing her to sob into his chest while a couple of tears escaped from his own eyes. One by one, the others all joined them, with Ono using his wing to rub her back. They could all feel the sadness radiate from the young cheetah as she shook from her sobbing. The storm outside was all but forgotten in that moment.

"I'm so sorry, Fuli," Bunga apologised, feeling incredibly guilty for causing this. "I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have asked dared you like that, it was wrong of me."

"It's okay," Fuli replied, though her voice was still shaky. "You couldn't possibly have known that was why."

"But, still, I shouldn't have forced you like that. I'm so, so sorry."

"Don't be." She broke the hug, waiting for the others to give her space before speaking again. "I don't blame you, Bunga, and I appreciate you guys listening to me. It's been so long since it happened, but… it doesn't hurt any less."

"Fuli, no one can expect it to," Makini offered, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That was a really traumatic experience, any one of us would probably have the same reaction."

"So, you guys don't…" She ducked her head slightly. "You guys don't… think less of me?"

Beshte shook his head, as did the others. "We wouldn't dream of it, Fuli," he answered. "You're our friend, and a part of our team, and more importantly, our family. Everyone has something they're afraid of, so we shouldn't judge you for having one either, and we won't."

Kion smiled proudly at the hippo. "Well put, Beshte," he told him, "couldn't have put it better myself." Beshte waggled his ears happily, before Kion turned back to Fuli. "He's right. No matter what, we will stick together and help each other. You have nothing to be ashamed of here."

Fuli stood there silent for a moment, allowing it all to sink in properly. After a moment or so, she chuckled lightly, confusing the others. "I don't know how I deserve you guys," she admitted, causing them to smile. "Even when I'm being hysterical like I was before, you still stand by me and help me."

"Well, it's like Beshte said," Ono argued. "We're a family, and that means we look out for each other no matter what."

"Thanks, guys." After she said this, she heard a boom of thunder outside, causing her to gasp and flinch in a reminder of what was happening in the Pride Lands. Shuddering a little, she tried calming herself like Makini had instructed her to earlier. "Guess I got so caught up in remembering all of that, that I forgot about the storm."

Kion frowned, concerned. "Are you going to be okay, Fuli?" He asked.

"Honestly? I don't think I'll be sleeping that easily, but hopefully I can wait long enough for the storm to pass us. Once it has, I should be okay?"

"But, Fuli, you need to get some sleep."

"I know, but…" She shuddered again as thunder crashed down again outside. "I just know that if I try and go to sleep with the storm outside, I'm gonna have another nightmare, and that's gonna keep everyone else up, so it's best if I stay awake for a bit. Besides, you should all get some rest too."

"Fuli…"

"It's fine, Beshte. That way, I can-" She shuddered once more dye to the raging storm. "I can let you guys know if anything happens."

"But-"

"I think she's right, Bunga," Kion spoke, interrupting the honey badger. "Maybe it is for the best."

Bunga opened his mouth to argue, but the look in Kion's eye made him think otherwise. Sighing, he nodded. "Sure thing, Kion." He looked over at Fuli. "Again, Im really sorry."

She rolled her eyes, smirking. "I thought I already forgave you?" She replied, causing everyone to chuckle. "It's fine, really. Goodnight, you guys."

"Goodnight!"

While Fuli walked closer to the entrance, Beshte, Bunga and Makini returned to where they were sleeping before. Ono was about to do the same, but he noticed how Kion was just stood there. Following his gaze, he realised the lion cub was watching the cheetah, so he flew over to him. "Do you really think she'll be alright?" He asked.

"I'm not sure," Kion admitted, "but I don't think it'll be healthy for her to stay up like this. Even if the storm passes us, it'll take time before it gets far enough away for us to not be able to hear it."

"You're right, but what can we do?"

Kion mulled it over. "Hmm…"


	8. Ch 8- The Calm After The Storm

**(A/N: before I start this final chapter off, I'd like to say a couple of things. Firstly, looking back, I realise that the trend this story follows is quite similar to the trend that Fuli Gets Sick follows. I never intended for that to be the case, and I hope that isn't an issue, but at the same time, I will do what I can to make sure this doesn't happen again.**

 **Secondly, thank you all for reading and supporting this story. I know it's been a while since my last Lion Guard fic, and that I've mainly been focusing on Loud House stuff as of late. I love both series, and I plan to continue making stories for both, but the amount of ideas I want to do makes it very time consuming, especially now I'm back at Uni. I can only promise to upload what I can when I feel it is ready to be uploaded.**

 **I hope that's okay with you guys. All that's left for me to say, is enjoy!)**

Fuli stood by the entrance to the cave, her body shuddering every time she heard thunder crashing outside. The heavy wind that blew outside couldn't fully penetrate the foliage blocking the entrance, but was enough for her to feel it. She stood there, waiting patiently, even though her heart was urging for the storm to end and for her to leave once it did. She was so focused on the storm, and her fearful hatred of it, that she was oblivious of someone approaching her from behind, until they were right next to her. Seeing a small tuft of red fur enter her peripheral vision, she flinched slightly as her eyes settled on who it belonged to.

"Kion?" She asked. "What are you-" Another crash of thunder caused her to flinch again, her face frowning heavily. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?"

"I should say the same thing about you," he calmly told her, his eyes once again showing that combination of seriousness and warmth that told her he cared for her. "The storm will end a lot quicker if you try and get some rest, you know?"

"I guess, but…"

She looked away, not wanting him to see her torn expression. "It's okay," he spoke softly, "you can tell me."

"… I… I don't want to have another nightmare." She felt her breathing grow shaky after another boom clapped through the atmosphere. "It was just so… horrifying."

He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

She looked back at him, her green eyes meeting his light brown eyes. "When you were out there before… fighting off the storm, I… I was just so… afraid." She looked down. "Afraid that I would… lose you."

He frowned. "Fuli…"

"And seeing it happen all over again, in that nightmare… it just felt… ten times worse!" For the umpteenth time, she felt tears trying to fight through her tear ducts. "I've already lost one person I care about because of a stupid storm." As if on cue, another thunderous clap caused her to shudder, letting out a small whimper. "I don't want to lose you too."

Kion let that sink in for a moment, before gently nuzzling the side of her neck, getting her to lift her head. Looking into his eyes, she saw that caring look again. "Fuli… you don't need to worry. I know it's a scary thought- I would never want to lose you either. But as long as I can, I will do whatever I can to make sure that doesn't happen. You mean a lot to me. I would never be okay with myself if I found out anything happened to you."

She sniffled, a small smile coming to her face as she hugged him tightly, the lion cub returning the gesture. "I feel the same way about you," she whispered, causing him to smile. She cherished the way he held her for a few seconds longer, before releasing the embrace. "Thank you, Kion."

"It's nothing, really. So, do you think you'll be able to get some sleep now?"

Her smile faltered at his request. "I'll try… but I don't know."

He nodded. "I'll make sure you're okay. Just lie down and close your eyes."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you reminding me how to sleep?" She joked, causing both to laugh quietly so as not to wake the others. "Alright, alright." Kion watched as the cheetah moved back to where she was previously asleep and lied down after taking a moment to make the ground comfortable again. She shot him a teasing grin. "Goodnight, Kion."

"Goodnight, Fuli," he responded, matching her tone. After rolling them, Fuli closed her eyes, attempting to let sleep wash over her. However, the storm outside made this much more difficult, as with each crash of thunder, she murmured more and more, moving around in discomfort as she grimaced and winced. Kion continued to watch, his own smile disappearing at his friend's discomfort. 'I wish there was something I could do,' he thought.

Then, he remembered the times when she had helped him with his nightmares, and the answer became clear. Without hesitation, he walked over to her and laid down next to her, keeping his body close to hers with one paw rubbing her back. She opened her eyes in confusion. "Kion?"

"I'm right here," he told her.

"Kion… what are you-"

"Fuli… do you trust me?" Confused, yet also feeling his warmth wash over her, she nodded. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. As long as you're by my side, nothing can happen to me, and nothing will happen to you. You're safe here."

Something about his voice, saying these words, had a calming effect on her. Combined with the rise and fall of his chest with every breath and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, she felt her head grow hazy as she relaxed, her eyes drooping groggily. The storm became a distant memory as it faded out, sleep taking over her.

"Kion…"

"I'm here." He waited for her response, but was instead met with the sounds of her gentle breathing. Turning his head slightly, he saw her eyes now closed, indicating that she had allowed sleep to overcome her, so he smiled. Holding her close, he nuzzled his cheek against hers. "Sleep tight, Fuli," he whispered, before shutting his eyes and going to sleep as well.

* * *

The next morning, Simba was the first to wake up in Rafiki's tree. Groggily opening his eyes, he let out a yawn and got to his feet, causing his wife to start to stir. He walked over to the entrance to the tree and looked out of it, surveying the land.

"Simba?" He heard Nala tiredly ask. Turning around, he saw his wife tiredly smiling at him. "Good morning."

He smiled back. "Good morning, Nala."

"I see the storm is over. How does it look outside?"

"From what I can see, it's not awful. A couple of fallen trees here and there, but I can see no major damage. Though, the same might not be said for the entirety of the Pride Lands."

"Yes, it will need more thorough inspection," they heard Rafiki say as he entered the room, "but I think we have little to worry about."

"Thank you for letting us stay the night, Rafiki," Nala told the mjuzi, "we may not have survived the storm if not for you."

"Not at all, your majesty. It was the least that I could do."

"Still, we are very grateful," Simba reminded. "You have done so much for us."

"And you have done a lot for me too."

Simba smiled. "You are a true friend, Rafiki. Thank you."

He gave a soft chuckle in response. "You are most welcome." He turned towards Kiara upon hearing her begin to stir. "It seems the Princess is awake now too."

Kiara's eyes blinked as she groggily awakened, causing her mother to smile. "Good morning, dear," she greeted her daughter.

"Morning, mom," Kiara replied with a small smile and yawn. "Is the storm over?"

"Yes, sweetie. The storm is over, we can go home now."

This caused her smile to grow. "Great!" She looked over at Rafiki. "Thank you for letting us stay, Rafiki."

"My pleasure, Princess!" He replied with a small bow that made her giggle, before he looked back at the king. "I wish you safe passage back to Pride Rock, your majesty."

"Thank you, Rafiki," he told the mjuzi, then turned to his wife. "Nala, you and Kiara return to Pride Rock. I'm going to go and look for Kion, so that I know he is safe."

"Are you sure?" He nodded, assuring her that he was serious. "Alright, just… make sure he's safe, okay?"

"I promise."

"Thank you." He stepped forward to nuzzle his wife, who returned the gesture. "I'll see you at home, Simba."

He nodded, then nuzzled his daughter. "Be careful, dad," she told him, causing him to chuckle.

"I will, Kiara."

"Come along, sweetie," Nala said, before she and Kiara began to walk away.

Simba began to walk out as well, until Rafiki stopped him. "Simba," he called, prompting the king to turn around. "If you happen to stumble upon Makini… please, could you ask her to head straight here?"

Simba smiled. It was no secret that the ageing mandrill had become fond of his successor, almost paternally attached to her. "Of course, Rafiki. I have no doubt that she will be eager to see you too."

Rafiki nodded. "Thank you."

Simba nodded, back before heading on his way.

It didn't take long for Simba to arrive at his first destination, the Lair of the Lion Guard. He had figured it to be one of the most likely places for the Guard to seek shelter during the storm, due to how often they frequented it. As he approached the entrance, he noticed the considerable amount of sand that stood before him. 'Not enough to block them in, thankfully,' he thought.

Pushing through the built up sand, he walked up to the vines that were in front of the entrance and walked through. Entering the cave, he prepared to call in, but stopped upon seeing the sight before him- all five members of the Guard, along with Makini, were still asleep, none more peacefully so than the lion and cheetah cubs that were held close together. The king smiled upon the sight, due to both his relief at their safety and the innocence of the sight. While he would have liked to let them stay like this, he decided to wake his son up. Giving him a gentle nudge with his muzzle, Simba watched as Kion's eyes fluttered open.

"Dad?" He groggily asked upon setting his eyes on his father.

"I'm here, Kion," he replied. "Is everyone okay after the storm?"

"Uh Huh. Beshte took a nasty scratch to his leg, but Makini treated it for him, so he should be okay today."

"That's good to hear."

"What about mom and Kiara? Are they okay?"

"They're fine. Rafiki allowed us to spend the night in his tree, and your mother and sister should have arrived back at Pride Rock by now." Kion exhaled in relief. "Son, I am so glad to know you're okay. Throughout the night, I worried that something might happen to you. Had something happened…"

The king couldn't finish his sentence, instead leaning forward to nuzzle his son, who smiled. "I know, dad, but I'm okay. I'm safe, thanks to the others."

"I'm glad." Standing back up, Simba looked at the rest of the Guard. "You know, if you want, you can take a rest from patrol today. I would be happy to take charge and give you and the others a chance to rest."

"Really?" Simba nodded. After a moment of thinking about it, Kion shook his head. "Thanks, but I think we'll be okay. Besides, it's our duty to look over the Pride Lands, and after last night, I think we'll need to survey any damages caused by the storm."

"I understand. Still, if you and the Guard feel you need help, do not feel afraid to ask."

"Okay, dad."

Without any further ado, the king left, unknowingly just as Fuli started to stir. Kion shuffled slightly away from her so she could sit up, eyes gently fluttering. She looked around for a moment, before finding Kion. "Good morning," he told her with a warm smile. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," she tiredly responder, smiling. "What about you?"

"Good as well." Kion looked over at the others, noticing them one by one open their eyes. "It looks like the others are waking up too." He waited for the others to get to their feet, doing the same himself. "Good morning, everyone."

"Morning, Kion!" Bunga energetically.

"So, what's the plan?" Beshte inquired.

"Well, because of the storm, we'll need to see what the damage is while on patrol, and do what we can to help.."

"So, let's go!" Bunga called out, causing Kion to chuckle.

"Hang on, Bunga. Before we go on patrol, I want you all to head to your homes and see what the damage is there, and get something to eat. We'll meet at the Watering Hole at noon, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Ono responded, while Bunga and Beshte both nodded.

"I'd better get going," Makini spoke. "Rafiki will be worried about me."

"Do you want one of us to escort you back?"

She shook hear head. "I'll be alright. But, thanks again, for saving me."

Kion smiled. "No worries, Makini. After all, it's our duty."

She nodded, before saying goodbye and taking her leave. After Bunga, Beshte and Ono did the same, Kion turned to Fuli. "So, what do you plan to do before patrol?"

"Eh, I'll probably just hunt something and eat, stretch my legs a bit. You'll be heading to Pride Rock, right?" He nodded. "Listen, before you go, I need to talk to you."

Curious, he raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"Last night."

"Fuli, you don't need to worry. We won't tell anyone about what you-"

She shook her head. "Not that." He instantly silenced himself, waiting to hear what she had to say while also noticing her nervous expression. "Last night… you probably saw me at my worst. I don't like showing that side of me, but… I couldn't hold it back."

The male's gaze showed sympathy as he nodded. "I understand."

"Yet, even though I was in that state, you stood by me, and did whatever you could to help me… there aren't a lot of guys I know who would do that, so… thank you."

His smile returned, warm as ever. "It's okay, Fuli. Really, I understand, but more importantly, I was happy to be there for you." He took a step towards her, so her eyes became magnetised towards his. "Because you did the same for me. And if I'm not willing to stand by you when you're at your worst, then I don't deserve to know you at your best."

She stood there, stunned by how his words melted her heart in a poetic kind of way. She smiled from ear to ear, a pink tint filling her cheeks. She stepped forward and gently nuzzled her head under his chin, causing the lion cub to blush as well, smiling an even bigger smile as he moved his head to nuzzle her as well. After a moment, they looked at each other, a sparkle in their eyes.

"I'll see you later for patrol," she told him before making her leave. Kion watched as she did so, and while he was glad to see that she had recovered from the previous night's events, he knew one thing for certain: Whether at her worst or at her best, he loved being there for her.

Or, perhaps, he simply loved her.

 **THE END**


End file.
